Groton used great offense, defensive plays and pitching from many different players to win the American Legion Baseball State B Championship in Milbank this week.

It was truly a team effort as this baseball community added another winning chapter to its outstanding sports history.

Groton scored 53 runs over six games, including 18 in one inning.

Amazing, as was the pitching performance of Jamie Jorgensen, who won two games for Groton on the final day.

How good was he? Near the end of his day in the eighth inning, he struck out two batters in four pitches.

And then there was the hitting of Kalen Kjellsen in the state championship.

Five plate appearances, five hits and five RBIs. Wow.

Then don’t forget about the defense of Matt Thorson, who kept robbing Flandreau hitters of hits in the championship game not to mention his gunning down a runner at home.

And speaking of great defense, how about Brandon Stanley’s great diving catch in right field in the state semifinal game against Corsica?

I also overheard that Eric May should put on a clinic for Major Leaguers on how to sacrifice bunt.

You get the picture. I could go on and on about this Groton team.

They were well deserving champions. The neat thing about this team was that it had players from surrounding towns too. So this was a championship to be celebrated by an entire region.

Here are some other things I know:

¿ South Dakota will send a representative to a Division II regional tourney in Dickinson next week. Groton has first shot at being that representative.

¿ Jorgensen was the Class B player of the year, the seventh time a Groton player has earned the honor (Trey Fliehs in 2001; Jesse Kurtenbach in 2000; Eric Larson in 1984; Brett Neuman in 1979; Rich Zimney in 1978; and Ron Westby in 1976).

¿ This was Groton’s eight state Legion title. Not too many South Dakota communities can say that.

¿ Mitch Foster of Flandreau was the Big Stick Award winner, going 11 of 21 for a .524 average during the tourney.

Groton has had four Big Stick award winners (Zelos Johnson in 1995; Jesse Kurtenbach in 1999; Brendan Hinrichs in 2001; and Heath Giedt in 2010).

¿ Corsica won the Sportsmanship team award. Groton has won that award twice.

¿ Thorson and Flandreau standout Joe Parsley will become Northern State football teammates in a few days as incoming freshmen.

¿ Groton was the State B runner-up in 2010.

¿ Flandreau beat Groton two years ago for the VFW Teener Baseball 15-16 State A title.

¿ Thanks for the photography assists from Craig Weinberg of VPDStudio.com in Milbank as well as Kent Erickson for the Groton team photo.

¿ The people of Milbank were getting lots of compliments for their job of hosting the tourney. Nice job, Milbank!